Divers Aid Tanker with Propeller Damage in Corpus Christi
Commercial divers recently helped a tanker return to service after suffering major propeller damage in the Port of Corpus Christi.Phoenix International Holdings, Inc. said its commercial ship husbandry division recently responded to a call from the stricken 330-meter vessel in 60-feet of water in Corpus Christi, Texas.Upon mobilizing a fly away dive spread and dive team, the project manager Errol Gritten performed the complex mathematics involved in calculating the mass loss of the damage to restore hydrodynamic balance.
Sunken Fishing Vessel Spilling Oil Off San Juan Island
A commercial fishing vessel that sank Saturday near San Juan Island, Wash. is spilling oil, the U.S. Coast Guard said.All five crewmembers from the sinking Aleutian Isle were rescued by a Good Samaritan, and no injuries have been reported.The 49-foot vessel sank with approximately 2,500 gallons of diesel fuel and a combined 100 gallons of hydraulic fluid and lubricant oil aboard, according to the Coast Guard. A sheen has been observed spanning more than two miles and was reported to have entered Canadian waters as the vessel continues to release small amounts of diesel.At approximately 2 p.m.
Government Update: Coast Guard Authorization Act
On January 1, 2021, in an unusual New Year’s Day session, the Senate (following similar action by the House) overrode President Trump’s veto and enacted into law the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) (H.R. 6395). In addition to the provisions relating to the Department of Defense, the bill contains numerous maritime sections, including Authorization Acts for the Coast Guard (USCG), the Maritime Administration (MARAD), and the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC).Coast GuardThe Coast Guard Authorization Act allows for acquisition of an additional National Security Cutter…
Salvors to Raise Sunken Tug in Alaska
A crane barge that will be used to hoist a sunken tug in Sitka, Alaska has arrived to the wreck site. The evolution to raise the tug is expected to take up to 10 days, the U.S. Coast Guard said. U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Sitka and Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation have been monitoring the out-of-service tug Powhatan, which sank at a pier in Sitka, April 19 and slid approximately 300 yards down a bank ultimately settling in 160 to 180 feet of water. The tug's owner, Samson Tug and Barge Company, contracted Southeast Alaska Petroleum for pollution recovery and Alaska Commercial Divers to plug vents and survey the vessel underwater. Since the sinking, an estimated 400 gallons of mixed product has released from the sunken tug.
New Approaches to Inland Infrastructure Renewal
Economical repairs are being applied to rapidly corroding steel and concrete structures in U.S. ports and inland waterways. The new repair systems – PileMedic & SPiRe – might just be what the doctor ordered. Recent advancements in using Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) for major structural repair and strengthening of submerged marine piles made of concrete or even timber has led to an economical, less invasive infrastructure repair solution for inland port development compared to current systems.
Nicholls Elected as ADCI President
Bryan Nicholls, president and COO of Texas based offshore and inland commercial diving contractor U.S. Underwater Services, LLC, has been elected president of the Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI) at its annual conference. The ADCI is a professional association that promotes best industry practice with respect to the health and safety of commercial divers and underwater operations. “The ADCI Consensus Standards for Commercial Diving and Underwater Operations are recognized as best industry practice here in the U.S., and in many other parts of the world,” Nicholls said.
Tug Grounding Causes Fuel Spill in Alaska
Emergency personnel continue their response to the tug boat Samson Mariner which ran aground and spilled fuel while towing a barge in the vicinity of Rosa Reef in north Tongass Narrows, Alaska, Wednesday evening. Approximately 1,100 gallons of diesel spilled from the tug prior to being patched by Alaska Commercial Divers Wednesday night. The Samson Mariner has been refloated and is anchored in Ward Cove alongside the barge it was towing. A Coast Guard Air Station Sitka MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew conducted an overflight with Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Ketchikan personnel aboard to determine the extent of any possible sheen or environmental impacts. A sheen has been reported in the area and SEAPRO has been tasked with fuel containment and recovery using boom and absorbent pads.
JFD Debuts Bailout Rebreather System to Safeguard Divers Lives
JFD, the leading global subsea operations and engineering company, part of James Fisher and Sons plc, has today announced the launch of its new Compact Bailout Rebreathing Apparatus (COBRA) for commercial divers, as a direct response to the urgent need for significant improvements in safety in the saturation diving industry. The system significantly extends the duration of the supply of emergency breathing gas, delivering 45 minutes of emergency life support at a depth of 120 meters. A conventional open-circuit 300 bar twinset bailout system will deliver only seven minutes at that depth. The extended emergency breathing gas supply significantly improves the likelihood of a successful rescue in the event of an emergency.
Global Diving & Salvage Hires VP in Houston
Global Diving & Salvage, Inc. has hired Mike Brown as Vice President of Energy Services, working from the company’s Houston office. In his new position Brown, will focus his efforts to increase Global's position in the domestic and international energy market and will be directly responsible for developing business opportunities and providing oversight on operations for these clients as well as oversee Global’s saturation and deep diving operations throughout the company. Brown brings with him more than 38 years of experience in the offshore oil and gas industry.
Grounded Bulker Refloated on St. Marys River
The grounded 603-foot Canadian bulk carrier Mississagi was refloated on the St. Marys River following operations to offload approximately 2,000 tons of stone, Saturday. The motor vessel, carrying more than 17,000 tons of stone, was transiting downbound the St. Marys River from Bruce Mines, Ontario early Wednesday when it ran aground in the Potagannissing Bay, approximately four miles northeast of De Tour Village. Lightering operations began at 8 a.m. under the supervision of Coast Guard marine inspectors and pollution responders. The vessel was refloated by 1 p.m. then anchored in a new location near Big Trout Island with no injuries or pollution. Once on scene, The Great Lakes Towing Company’s Tug Missouri responded and freed the vessel within five hours, the company said.
300th Anniversary of Historic Fleet Sinking
2015 will mark the 300th anniversary of the sinking of a dozen Spanish ships known as the 1715 Plate Fleet; plata being the Spanish world for silver. On the 30th of July 1715 twelve galleons, overloaded with Mexican gold and silver, left Cuba and sailed north carried by the Gulf Stream. Just off the coast of Florida between present day Sebastian and Fort Pierce they were struck by a ferocious hurricane. Some of the ships sank in deep water, some broke up in shallower water, and others ran aground near shore.
Six Rescued from Sunken Barge, Five Still Missing
Around 8 a.m. (Singapore time) on December 19, 2013, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) received a report that a life raft with people onboard had been sighted southwest of Horsburgh Lighthouse. A total of six crew members were subsequently rescued by a Police Coast Guard patrol craft. The rescued crew members reported that another five persons were missing, and that they were from a barge, Heng Hong 168, which had capsized in Singapore waters about three nautical miles west of Horsburgh Lighthouse. MPA is coordinating the search and rescue (SAR) operations, which involves assets for aerial and surface searches. MPA has also activated commercial divers to assist with the SAR operations.
Subsea UK and OPITO Awarded Vital Funding
Subsea UK and OPITO have each been awarded part of a £2million fund aimed at attracting vital new entrants into the industry and helping people to diversify their skills. Scotland’s leading diver training facility, The Underwater Center in Fort William, has also secured a share of The Energy Challenge Fund, set up to help tackle the current skills shortage in the oil and gas industry. The Fund, managed on behalf of the Scottish Government by Skills Development Scotland (SDS), will support employers’ skills needs to build on the talent pool in Scotland’s burgeoning energy sector. The training is aimed at helping people to gain the qualifications necessary for working in oil and gas, including the subsea sector, as well as renewables and micro-renewables.
The Underwater Centre Wins Top Award At Inaugural Ceremony
The Underwater Centre has picked up a top award at the inaugural Energy North Awards Ceremony held in Inverness, Thursday, September 29. The Centre triumphed in the Best Oil and Gas Industry Service Supplier category. The Best Oil and Gas Industry Service Supplier award recognizes those companies that are involved in the oil and gas industry in the HIE region. The Underwater Centre’s primary focus is on providing industry specific skills and competency training for commercial divers and ROV pilots…
Commercial Divers and Police Assisted by Metal Detectors
Randive, a commercial diving company based in New Jersey, is employing underwater metal detectors in their search and salvage operations. The company was founded in 1959 by Randor Erlandson, and in the early days focused primarily on the needs of the maritime industry around the ports of New York and New Jersey. In the decades since, the company has greatly expanded its operations increasing its staff to 16, and adding as its clients some of the largest shipping companies in the world.
WWII Liberty Ship Davy Crockett Demolition Completed
The final section of a once proud WWII Liberty Ship was removed from the Columbia River today by Ballard Diving & Salvage under the direction of the United States Coast Guard and unified command consisting of both Washington and Oregon Department of Ecologies. This concludes a massive and carefully engineered effort to prevent more than 32,000 gallons of bunker oil from escaping into the river from the various double-bottom tanks and other holds containing the decades old bunker fuel harboring the sticky black substance.
Deltron's Rebreather Equip., Spill Prevention & Containment
Deltron, Inc. (DTRO), through its Blu Vu Deep Oil and Gas Exploration, Inc. division, is developing rebreather equipment to aid in preventing and containing offshore oil spills. Deltron recognizes the critical need for solutions to improve inspection, maintenance and repair of deep water oil and gas rigs like BP's Deepwater Horizon. The company has designed proprietary closed circuit rebreather systems to enable commercial divers to reach greater depths, stay underwater longer, increase productivity while submerged, and reduce decompression and recovery time. Deltron's solutions are engineered to allow offshore drilling companies to…
Resolve Completes Black Rose Fuel Removal
Salvage crews from international salvage company Resolve Marine Group, Inc. have completed recovery work (11/15/2009) on the Black Rose, an iron ore carrying vessel which sank two months ago in the Bay of Bengal, India. Initially awarding the job to Resolve, the Paradip Port Trust has since issued Resolve a certificate of completion stating that, following the removal of well over 900 tonnes of contaminated fuel oil, the vessel has been cleared to their satisfaction. Chosen for their familiarity with environmentally delicate projects…
Fuel Removal from Capsized Vessel
Salvage crews from international salvage company Resolve Marine Group, Inc. have begun recovery work on the iron ore carrying vessel Black Rose which sank last month in the Bay of Bengal, India. Resolve’s team was awarded the tender by the Paradip Port Trust and will be pumping some 925 tonnes of fuel oil and 50 tonnes of diesel oil, as reported by officials, from the stricken ship which sank with the loss of one life 5km off the Paradip coastline on September 9. The accident spot is close to the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary…
Agencies Respond to Freight Ship Spilling Oil
The Coast Guard and O'Brien's Response Management are responding to oil which is leaking from the motor vessel Pac Alkaid, which is anchored 10 miles southeast of Southwest Pass near Venice, La. The Pac Alkaid reported the discharge to the Coast Guard at approximately 2 a.m. Oct. 30, when it was anchored five miles southeast of Southwest Pass. Winds and currents pushed the oil to the northwest on Oct. 30, which caused a sheen to wash up against the rocks of the Southwest Pass jetty. The Coast Guard ordered the vessel to move further offshore at approximately 11 a.m. Oct. 30 in order to lessen the impact of the oil on the shoreline. The initial discharge of an estimated 12,000 gallons of bunker oil was caused by a hole in the Pac Alkaid's hull.
NY, Heating Oil Barge Runs Aground
A barge carrying more than 5 million gallons of home heating oil reportedly struck an unknown object and began taking on water near City Island, N.Y., at approximately 2:30 p.m., Jan 22. No pollution is reported at this time. The commercial tug Meredith C. Reinauer was pushing a barge to Boston, Mass., when they reportedly struck the object near Execution Rocks, N.Y. The master of the tug contacted the Coast Guard and reported the barge was taking on water in a ballasting void. The tug brought the barge to anchor off of Hart Island, N.Y. A Coast Guard 41-foot response boat crew from Coast Guard Station Kings Point was quickly on scene to confirm that the vessel was not discharging any oil. Commercial divers from Randive, Inc.
Cruise Passengers Ferried from Entangled Vessel
Coast Guard Sector received a call over marine band radio channel from the master of the Atlantic Highlands Princess who reported that the vessel had lost power to both of its engines and was drifting toward the break wall. Once the vessel anchored to keep from drifting its propellers were found entangled in the mooring lines of a nearby vessel and the chains from a mooring ball. A rescue crew from Coast Guard Station Sandy Hook arrived on scene and began transporting all of the passengers and four crew members to shore. The captain and two crew members remained on the vessel. Commercial divers arrived on scene and awaited arrival of a commercial tug from Island Towing to free the vessel. The tug arrived at about 10 a.m. Sunday and the divers began work to release the line and chain.
Innovative Diver Building Versatile Utility/Dive Boats
"It takes about two 12-hour days to clean the nearly flat bottom of a 1,300 x 200-ft. super tanker," says John Templet, founder of Commercial Divers in Pasgagula Miss., "and another one-and-a-half days to clean the underwater sides. Of course this depends on what type of paint, how old it is and the type of waters that ship has been in. Commercial Marine Divers does a wide range of work, much of it relating to the oil business and offshore rigs, but it is in the hull cleaning that Template has made them the innovators. Starting his firm in 1976 he was frustrated with the efficiencies of the older style rotating wire brush hull cleaning machines. "I figured there must be a better way," he says.